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188
At that same hour.
Dokgo Yeon sat alone at an inn, picking at food that wouldn't go down, lost in anguish.
Four words kept circling through her mind: 'self-binding in one's own trap.'
'Did I do something pointless?'
She had come to help Hwangbo Hye-ji with her love. And being human, Dokgo Yeon had naturally hoped that events would unfold in the way most advantageous to her own position.
That the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon, moved by Hwangbo Hye-ji's pure devotion, would spare her and merely pretend to violate her publicly.
That Hwangbo Hye-ji's beloved would roar something like, 'Even so, I still love you!' in the face of her defilement.
That Hwangbo Hye-ji, her marriage prospects now blocked, would end up successfully wed to her beloved after all.
'You couldn't have Hwangbo Hye-ji, so tonight, Yeon, you will be Hye-ji.'
That the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon, denied Hwangbo Hye-ji, would vent his pent-up frustration on her instead!
"Kyaa. No, please don't. Stop. There's someone I love."
She had even gone so far as to invent the name Hwangbo Hye-yeon and practice being ravished in bed, but it all ended as useless fantasy. Hwangbo Yeom's sudden actions had entangled all of the Hwangbo Seven Princesses, but what truly mattered was Hwangbo Hye-ji's own will.
"Hye-ji..."
Yesterday's friend becoming today's enemy was common. Dokgo Yeon couldn't be certain yet, but with her sharp intuition she had read Hwangbo Hye-ji's heart in the way her friend looked at her own man.
That look in her eyes.
It was the gaze of a woman who wanted to bear that man's child.
"But you already have someone you love..."
Hwangbo Hye-ji had said she had someone she loved. That person could not possibly be the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon. It was clearly someone else, and the reason Dokgo Yeon had come to Shandong was to connect Hwangbo Hye-ji with him.
Yet Hwangbo Hye-ji had shown no reluctance—subtly, or sometimes openly—about linking herself to the Soul-Seizing Crashing Fist.
To put it crudely, it was the behavior of a female drawn to a powerful male.
How did she know that? Because she had been the same.
Because everyone around her had been the same. The reasons for falling for the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon all varied, no doubt, but she couldn't deny that being captivated by a strong man she could entrust her own fate to had played its part.
"Ugh..."
What if Hwangbo Hye-ji truly developed feelings for the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon?
She felt sorry for the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon, but Dokgo Yeon had deliberately crafted her plan on the assumption that Hwangbo Hye-ji would be incapable of feeling attraction to him.
The Sky-Soaring Lust Demon had known this as well, and had turned a blind eye.
If the Sex Demon had genuinely wanted Hwangbo Hye-ji, he would have overturned Dokgo Yeon's plan and abducted her, but he only desired sex with Hwangbo Hye-ji—he wasn't particularly fixated on her.
The reason he had come to Shandong was to make Dokgo Yeon even more thoroughly his own. To break it down specifically: under the pretext of having saved Hwangbo Hye-ji, ninety percent of his intent was to make Dokgo Yeon fall even deeper for him, to the point she could never escape.
The remaining ten percent was the side benefit—Hwangbo Hye-ji herself, presumably.
The problem was if Hwangbo Hye-ji, who was only supposed to be a one-night encounter, ended up falling for the Sky-Soaring Lust Demon.
He doesn't turn away women who come to him. If someone says she likes him even knowing full well he's a Sex Demon, the Sex Demon wouldn't exactly refuse.
If, in the worst-case scenario, Hwangbo Hye-ji walked the same path she had?
If not just the Soul-Seizing Crashing Fist, but the Ice-Colored Demon himself showed up?
'No. That can't happen.'
There hadn't been even a shred of a factor to build attraction.
There was no way Hwangbo Hye-ji was the kind of easy woman who'd fall for a man stronger than her, or for a powerful fist master!
Dokgo Yeon trusted her friend.
She trusted Hwangbo Hye-ji's pure heart. She trusted Hwangbo Hye-ji's common sense.
No matter how charming a man might be, if his first impression was worse than a Beggar Sect bum and he was a lust demon, rejection was the natural response.
No matter how majestic and splendid the tiger that wants to devour you may be, the deer won't gaze up with sparkling eyes and fall in love.
- I... will become Hye-ji. Yeon.
"No way."
She wouldn't turn her back on the Hwangbo Clan... would she? Uneasy, Dokgo Yeon stabbed her chopsticks into the innocent vegetables again and again.
"Hye-ji... this is really dangerous."
No matter how she thought about it, she had chosen wrong. Dokgo Yeon berated herself and buried her body in the bed.
- Yeon, the Lord asked what he'd like for lunch today.
- Hye-ji and Yeoni.
- Oh my. Then I'll have to make sure it's delicious for him.
Oddly, the image of Hye-ji and herself doing household chores together within the Cheon Family Estate kept refusing to leave her mind.
"What if... she even has a child?"
Please let it remain only a delusion. Dokgo Yeon prayed to the heavens, again and again.
* * *
"Hah. You call that a question?"
"Answer me. Don't change the subject."
Hwangbo Hye-ji pressed me with an intense stare.
"I'm not fond of being tested. I dislike falsehoods, even in jest."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Of course you must be. You could never abandon the Hwangbo Clan."
Struck at the heart of the matter, Hwangbo Hye-ji's expression stiffened.
"I can abduct Hye-ji. But I cannot abduct Hwangbo Hye-ji."
"...You mean I'd have to resolve myself to turn my back on the clan, like Yeoni did?"
"Of course."
When it comes to life's priorities, Paeng Yuwol is the only woman who would choose me over her clan. She wanted to raise my child as a child of the Paeng Clan, so I left her with the Paeng Clan.
"If you wish to spend your life with me, you must place me first among your priorities."
"...You demand a remarkably heavy love."
Hwangbo Hye-ji bowed her head with a bitter smile.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to test you. It's just..."
Hwangbo Hye-ji swallowed her next words and trailed off. I couldn't tell what she was hesitating to say, but I made sure to drive the point home so she wouldn't misunderstand.
"And even if you did want that, I have no intention of granting it."
"That's unexpected."
"Of course it is. I came to meet you because you're Yeoni's friend, not because I absolutely had to have you."
Whether I eat or not doesn't matter. But if I'm going to eat, I'll do it right and leave not a single drop of broth behind.
And if I'm going to eat anyway, I'll make it a full-course feast and leave nothing.
"What I'm saying is, Dokgo Yeon comes first for me. Hwangbo Hye-ji does not."
"If Yeoni told you not to do it with me, would you really not?"
"Of course."
At my words, Hwangbo Hye-ji looked genuinely surprised.
"You... truly love Yeoni."
"Naturally."
I answered boldly, striking my chest. I was a little embarrassed saying it, but I was confident I could express it with my body just as well.
"Half of my spirit dwells within her. What Sex Demon in this world would place his own True Qi inside the body of a woman he does not love?"
"...Is that true?"
"Of course."
A martial artist had given his internal energy—as precious as life itself—to another. That alone was proof enough of my love.
'Though of course, I receive just as much in return.'
Absorption of Yin to Nourish Yang, Absorbing Yang to Nourish Yin.
Through each other, we could absorb the yin and yang we each lacked, laying the foundation to grow even stronger.
"Giving half your spirit... truly... as a woman, it's a love to envy."
I told the truth. Half of it.
"I understand. Then I'll trust you."
Hwangbo Hye-ji extended her hand to me. She clasped my hand for a moment, her eyes bittersweet.
"...If I'd met you first, it would have been better."
"What?"
She had said that deliberately to be heard. When I pressed her immediately, Hwangbo Hye-ji smiled and shook her head.
"It's nothing. You misheard."
When I revealed my sincerity, she let the tension drain from her eyes and held my hand with a gentle gaze.
"Until you reveal your true colors as the Sex Demon, as the Soul-Seizing Crashing Fist, you must work for the Hwangbo Clan and for Hwangbo Hye-ji. Understood?"
"Of course. Where should I begin? More sparring?"
"Well... let's save the most important thing for tonight. Shall we go prepare first? For the success of the plan to violate Hwangbo Hye-ji."
Hwangbo Hye-ji pulled my hand with a sly grin.
"Come on. Let's go. Quickly."
"...Hm, I like the sound of it, but must we hold hands?"
"Oh my. Excuse me."
Hwangbo Hye-ji placed her index finger on my lips and winked.
"Didn't the Soul-Seizing Crashing Fist say he wants to take me as his wife?"
"......This feels slightly different from what I was told."
"Heh heh, I told you. I don't dislike you."
Hwangbo Hye-ji drew close to me and whispered softly.
"I told you. The moment I entered your room, my resolve was already made."
"......."
Come to think of it.
Dokgo Yeon still hadn't even asked me not to sleep with Hwangbo Hye-ji.
"Hye-ji."
I accepted her provocation willingly.
"This thing we're doing tonight... is it what I think it is?"
"No. I was merely..."
Hwangbo Hye-ji averted her eyes from me,
"......W-well, the bedchamber can wait until next time."
She postponed the bedding. I clicked my tongue in regret, but wrapped my hand around her waist as she blushed, and whispered.
"Heh heh, so you're not entirely against the idea?"
Hwangbo Hye-ji said nothing.
* * *
The next day.
I was invited to a meal with Hwangbo Hye-ji. The table, shared by Hwangbo Yeom, Hwangbo Hye-ji, and myself, overflowed with meat dishes.
"Haha! A man must eat plenty of meat to gain strength! I put in some effort for the honored guest who has entered our clan."
"You're too generous."
The varieties of meat my eyes swept over numbered no fewer than seven. Pork, beef, and lamb went without saying, but chicken, swallow, and even carp were present—creatures of land, sea, and air all represented in equal measure. I pointed to the most visually unusual dish among them.
"This is..."
"Haha! Just as the mountain has wild ginseng, the sea has sea cucumber!"
They had even caught and cooked sea creatures rarely seen inland in Hubei. The table was laden with elaborate dishes that clearly took considerable effort, and aside from a few strongly seasoned items, most of the food carried a clean, mild essence.
"This is a celebration of the martial tournament's victor, a celebration of one who has become a member of the Hwangbo Clan, and at the same time, a meal for me to apologize to you."
"Apologize?"
"I'm sorry."
Hwangbo Yeom suddenly bowed his head to me.
"I was too captivated by your martial prowess, and as Clan Head I made a rash judgment."
"...That's quite all right. It only means you thought that highly of me."
I calmly offered a martial salute. Hwangbo Yeom gave a simple, relieved smile.
"Hahaha! Magnanimous as ever. Thank you, son-in-law."
I knew this smile. I knew all too well the face of a good-natured man easy to deceive. Having killed such men several times in my days as Chu Ma-gwi, that pure, hearty laugh gave me a pang in the stomach.
"Son-in-law, let me ask you one thing. It's just a customary question, so answer comfortably."
"Please speak."
"What is it about my daughter that you find so pleasing?"
"......."
I shut my eyes tightly. Glancing sideways, I saw Hwangbo Hye-ji was also quietly waiting for my answer.
I posed the question to the little Sex Demon nestled in my loins.
'What makes Hwangbo Hye-ji good?'
He answered.
'Her chest is just right, her figure is well-toned, and perhaps because she's a fist master, her body is vibrant and full of life without an ounce of excess flesh. Her hips are the easy-birthing type—she'd probably have twins. Her face? I'd already confirmed that the moment I assessed her body. Judging by appearance alone, she's a woman who starts at five out of five.'
What answer would be best?
"...The Mountain Lord Sect was a mysterious sect passed down through a single successor."
I opened with a solemn tone.
"After my master passed away in an unfortunate accident, the Fierce Tiger Overlord Fist was fated to end in my generation."
"Oh dear...!"
I saw both sympathy and a glint of interest in Hwangbo Yeom's eyes. He was thinking exactly what I'd intended. That it wasn't just the Hwangbo Clan that needed to hurry into marriage—the Soul-Seizing Crashing Fist did as well.
"The Murim is vast, and there's no telling when this martial art might be lost. But here within the Hwangbo Clan, the Fierce Tiger Overlord Fist will not be lost, and I believe the founding masters of my sect would be well satisfied."
There are cases where small mysterious sects enter under the umbrella of a great sect, but it's just as common for them to enter under a great clan.
This is especially true for single-successor sects, and it was the fundamental reason the Hwangbo Clan held the martial tournament in the first place.
"Of course. The Hwangbo Clan warmly welcomes the Fierce Tiger Overlord Fist."
"Thank you, Clan Head. With this... my master can rest without regrets."
Bang Cheol-su? Doesn't matter. As of now, the Fierce Tiger Overlord Fist is a martial art of the Hwangbo Clan.
"You are welcome, son-in-law."
"I shall serve with all my devotion, Father-in-law."
I bowed deeply toward him. He waved his hands, saying there was no need for such formality, but Hwangbo Yeom's lips couldn't be pulled down from their grin.
"Father, so about my sisters..."
"Ah, right. Yes, Hye-ji. You should listen carefully too. Ahem."
Hwangbo Yeom clapped his hands with a solemn face. At once, six women in neat attire entered with bowed heads and greeted me.
"As Clan Head, I cannot take back my word. But the son-in-law's point has merit, so I asked my daughters one by one."
I studied the six sisters of the Hwangbo Seven Princesses.
'Tch.'
A shame. Their beauty was so exceptional that I understood why they were called the Seven Princesses.
Hwangbo Hye-ji was the finest, of course, but the others' beauty was not far behind. It was a moment where I understood why thousands of men were desperate to become a groom candidate.
"Well? They're all beautiful, aren't they."
"Yes..."
There was no need to add flowery words. I gazed at them as if entranced, just as Hwangbo Yeom hoped I would.
"Girls, greet him now."
"We greet our lord."
They bowed at the waist toward me.
All six of them.
"......?"
I locked eyes with Hwangbo Hye-ji. She looked equally bewildered, and we both turned our heads toward Hwangbo Yeom.
"Keh heh heh. First time I've seen you make that expression. No, I mean... kah ha ha!!"
Hwangbo Yeom clapped my shoulder roughly.
"Do you think you're just ordinarily charming? I tell you, not a single one of my daughters said she disliked you!"
"......."
"I asked my daughters their wishes, didn't I? They all said yes! Son-in-law, take good care of my daughters! You shall carry on the Hwangbo line! Keol keol keol!"